Australian Grading System Explained: A Complete Guide

The academic grading system varies from one country to the other. In Australia, international students may find the grading system quite complicated and difficult to understand at first.

Many overseas students often get stressed about the ‘D’ grade, which they consider to be a bad grade. But actually, it means a distinction grade.

It’s very important to understand that every university, institute, or state, may have a different grading system in Australia. Therefore, it’s always suggested to check with the specific educational institute or university about the grading systems they follow.

In this post, we’ll discuss and guide you through the Australian grading system for Universities, high schools and vocational education providers across the country

Basic Grading Scale for Univerisites in Australia

You’ll find a table below that demonstrates the general grading system common among most Australian universities. It’s important to note that these universities might have minor variations in their grading scales.

However, if you are looking to pursue an honours degree, the grades might look different. When compared to a standard undergraduate degree, honours degree involves an additional year of study. Here’s what the honours degree grades look like:

Grade

Grade Name

Percentage (%)

H1

First Class Honours

80 and above

H2A

Second Class Honours - A Division

74 to 79

H2B

Second Class Honours - B Division

70 to 74

H3

Third Class Honours

65 to 69

P

Pass

50 to 64

N

Fail

49 and below

Grading Systems in Different States and Territories of Australia:

1. New South Wales

The state of New South Wales is a popular study destination in Australia. It is home to several famous universities like the University of New South Wales, University of Newcastle, University of Sydney, and Macquarie University.

The table below shows the grade scale followed by the educational institutions of New South Wales:

Grade

Grade Name

Grade Scale (%)

US Equivalent

HD

High Distinction

85 to 100

A +

D

Distinction

75 to 84.99

A

CR

Credit

65 to 74.99

B

P or PW

Pass

50 to 64.99

C

F

Fail

0 to 49.99

F

Note: There is another grade known as Pass Conceded (PC), which allows progression to some other course under mitigating circumstances.

2. Victoria

Victoria is known for its renowned education system worldwide. It boasts around 9 different universities that include Monash University, Deakin University, Swinburne University of Technology, the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University.

The table below shows the grading system followed by the educational institutions of Victoria:

Grade

Grade Name

US Equivalent

A

A+

B

A

C

B

D

C

E

Lowest grade needed to pass

D

F

Fail

F

3. Queensland

Queensland has some of the top-ranking universities in the world including Griffith University and the University of Queensland.

The table below shows the grade scale followed by the educational institutions of Queensland:

Grade

Grade Name

Grade Scale

US Equivalent

HD

High Distinction

7

A+

D

Distinction

6 to 6.99

A

CR

Credit

5 to 5.99

B

P

Pass (the lowest passing grade)

4 to 4.99

C

F

Fail

1 to 3.99

F

4. South Australia

The state of South Australia has some of the best universities in Australia, which includes the University of Adelaide, Carnegie Mellon University, Flinders University and the University of South Australia.

The table below shows the grade scale followed by the educational institutions of South Australia:

Grade

Grade Name

Grade Scale

US Equivalent

HD

High Distinction

85 to 100

A+

D

Distinction

75 to 84.99

A

C

Credit

65 to 74.99

B

P1

Pass Level 1

55 to 64.99

B-

P2

Pass Level 2

50 to 54.99

C

F1

Fail Level 1 (the lowest passing grade)

40 to 49.99

C-

F2

Fail Level 2

30 to 39.99

F

5. Western Australia

The state of Western Australia consists of several universities. Some of them are: University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University, and Murdoch University.

The table below shows the grade scale followed by the educational institutions of Western Australia:

Grade

Grade Name

Grade Scale

US Equivalent

HD

High Definition

80 to 100

A

A

Excellent Achievement

80 to 100

A

B

High Achievement

70 to 79.99

B

C

Sound Achievement

60 to 69.99

C

D

Limited Achievement (lowest grade needed to pass)

50 to 59.99

D

E

Fail

0 to 49.99

F

6. Australian Capital Territory

The two major tertiary institutions of higher education in the Australian Capital Territory include the University of Canberra and the Australian National University.

The table below shows the grade scale followed by the educational institutions of the Australian Capital Territory:

Grade

Grade Name

Grade Scale

US Equivalent

A

Extremely High Standard of Achievement

85 to 100

A

B

High Standard of Achievement

70 to 84.99

B

C

Acceptable Standard of Achievement

50 to 69.99

C

D

Limited Standard of Achievement

25 to 49.99

D

E

Very Limited Performance

0 to 24.99

F

Note: Additionally, there is also an ‘S’ grade, which is used when unavoidable circumstances prevent students from being granted A to E grading scale percentages in Australia.

7. The Northern Territory

The Northern Territory of Australia is home to just one tertiary education institution i.e. Charles Darwin University.

The table below shows the grade scale followed by Charles Darwin University of the Northern Territory:

Grade

Scale 1

Scale 2

US Equivalent

A

5

17 to 20

A

B

4 to 4.99

14 to 16.99

B

C

3 to 3.99

11 to 13.99

C

D

2 to 2.99

8 to 10.99

D

E

1 to 1.99

0 to 7.99

F

8. Tasmania

The island state Tasmania is home to only one University which is the University of Tasmania, but it also hosts the famous TasTAFE.

The table below shows the grade scale, followed by the University of Tasmania:

Grade

Grade Name

Grade Scale

US Equivalent

EA

Excellent Achievement

4

A+

HA

High Achievement

3.5 to 3.99

A

CA

Commendable Achievement

3 to 3.49

B

SA

Satisfactory Achievement

2.5 to 2.99

C

PA

Preliminary Achievement

2 to 2.49

D

VET (Vocational Education and Training) Grades

The Vocational Education System in Australia includes the Diploma, Advanced Diploma, and Certificates (I to IV). Most of the VET qualifications only have two grades, which either means you are competent (Pass), or you are not competent (Fail).

If your institute decides to give you a graded score, your scores can be similar to university grades. But mostly, vocational courses are based on competency levels. The table below shows the grades provided by the Vocational Education Institutes:

On the other hand, ATAR scores are an important component of the Australian education system. If a student’s ATAR score is 80, it means that he/she has performed better than 80% of the students on the same steam. Also, if a student exceeds a certain ATAR level, he/she will be offered Government-sponsored opportunities.

This all you need to remember about the Australian grading, but if you want to learn more, you can check out the websites of the universities you want to apply for.